KHL
CSKA – SKA St. Petersburg 3:0 (end)
final
CSKA Moscow
3:0 (1:0, 1:0, 1:0)
SKA St. Petersburg
Thursday 26.03.2015, 17:30 • LDS CSKA • KHL
     
    There is the final buzzer, and HC CSKA Moscow have defeated SKA Saint Petersburg 3:0 in the KHL Gagarin Cup Western Conference final opener! They took their chances expertly, while shutting SKA down. Alexander Radulov, Roman Lyubimov and Jan Mursak netted for the victors, with Stanislav Galimov grabbing a shutout. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more thrilling KHL action! (19:59:50)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:08
    Already with SKA back to full strength the match is coming to its finish, with CSKA taking the advantage in the series!
     
    57:08
    Tempers are rising now as Ilya Kovalchuk knees opposing captain Alexander Radulov horribly! He's naturally been punished for that, while CSKA's number 47 doesn't look comfortable!
     
    56:12
    Seconds after being denied by Mikko Koskinen's blocker Evgeniy Artyukhin of CSKA has been sent to the penalty box for roughing, but it will be a four on four hockey game as SKA's Dmitriy Yudin has also been penalised
     
    55:26
    Once again nothing was created during that time, and CSKA are back to full strength. Their penalty kill has been crucial for them today all the way through!
     
    53:26
    The beleaguered visitors have been given a potentially important powerplay here, as CSKA forward Evgeniy Artyukhin has been called for interference
     
    51:34
    Dmitriy Kalinin falls to the ice, and he looks in serious pain! His leg almost twisted in two as he fell awkwardly, and he's is being helped off the ice!
     
    51:05
    Tikhonov! Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen combine cleverly alongside the right hand boards, and Viktor Tikhonov's eventual one timer is stoned by Alexander Galimov!
     
    50:40
    Icing is committed by CSKA. Despite the score SKA fans are still in fine voice in their guest sector inside the LDS CSKA, and they are trying to give their team courage to make a dramatic comeback!
     
    49:43
    It's a tall order for SKA now, and they look to have given up the ghost showing little desire to power forward. CSKA have taken their chances with excellence today, and their home fans are very satisfied at the moment!
     
    47:51
    Goal for CSKA!
    That will probably do it now! Alexander Radulov is allowed to power in from the left, and his backhanded is deflected by JAN MURSAK's knee over Mikko Koskinen's glove and in! Powerplay goal and it's 3:0! Assists- Simon Hjalmarsson and Alexander Radulov
     
    47:03
    And the hosts will now have a man advantage, as SKA's Dinar Khafizullin has been charged with interference
     
    45:58
    Kiselevich! Bogdan Kiselevich blasts from between the circles, and Mikko Koskinen makes an alert right pad save! He sneaked in unexpectedly there for CSKA!
     
    43:23
    The visitors are not at the races today when it comes to being on the powerplay, and CSKA have got away with another foul coming back to full strength
     
    43:03
    How many chances do SKA want! Tony Martensson fires wide of an almost open net by the left post, and then a thunderous Maxim Chudinov slap shot deflects off the netminder's mask and out of play!
     
    42:06
    Chudinov! Maxim Chudinov slaps as hard as he can from the blue line, and Stanislav Galimov spreads himself to gather at the second attempt! SKA are putting on the heat!
     
    41:23
    CSKA have been committing fouls at will today and here's another, as Georgiy Panin has been caught for hooking Tony Martensson directly under the referee's nose
     
    40:30
    The third period has begun! It's SKA's last chance to save this game, with CSKA in the driving seat!
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Statistics after the first two periods:

    Shots: 34-35
    Shots on target: 22-16
    Faceoffs: 17-19
    Hits: 11-6
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:55
    As Evgeniy Korotkov from an identical position is denied by Mikko Koskinen the final seconds of the second period are now here, with SKA having it hard today!
     
    38:31
    Kovalchuk! SKA are having more and more chances now! Ilya Kovalchuk is allowed to crash down the left, and he wrists not too far wide of the far corner!
     
    37:48
    Away forward Jimmie Ericsson wriggles away from his defenceman on the left flank, wrists with pace, and it's not too difficult for Stanislav Galimov to take in
     
    35:46
    Roman Cervenka is clean through one on one, however skating out wide right he makes the angle too difficult for himself! And CSKA do now have their full quota of players in the action again
     
    34:56
    Maxim Chudinov slaps from the right faceoff circle, a huge rebound pops out to Evgeniy Dadonov at point blank range, and he takes a complete air shot! Had he made contact he would have been sure to score!
     
    33:40
    As Tony Martensson wrists off target from a fantastic position to the left SKA are again going to have a man's advantage, and it's Igor Makarov who has been punished for tripping
     
    33:03
    It's all gone quiet here in Moscow again, CSKA are sitting back allowing SKA to play the puck about while acting reliably in defensively
     
    29:55
    Their powerplay really isn't working today though, and the solid CSKA are back at full strength
     
    27:55
    SKA are again going to play with a man's advantage, as home Swedish forward Simon Hjalmarsson has been handed a two minute minor for high sticking
     
    27:50
    The puck is coughed up by CSKA deep inside their own zone, Roman Cervenka one times when open on the right faceoff circle, and it flies wide! They are having openings regularly!
     
    25:18
    It's not going to be easy for SKA now, and they have to strike back as soon as possible! CSKA are gaining in confidence!
     
    24:37
    Goal for CSKA!
    Out of nothing the hosts get their second of the game! ROMAN LYUBIMOV spins around from behind the net to the left post, and somehow he stuffs it beyond Mikko Koskinen! It's 2:0! Assists- Simon Hjalmarsson and Alexander Radulov
     
    22:45
    Cervenka! As that CSKA penalty comes to an end Roman Cervenka wrists dangerously from the doorstep, and Stanislav Galimov beats it away! That was a great chance to get his team on the board!
     
    21:08
    And immediately they have earned a handy powerplay opportunity, as CSKA defenceman Ondrej Nemec has been called for tripping
     
    20:28
    The second stanza is go! SKA have been getting better and better, and will be craving that equaliser!
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Statistics after the opening period of play:

    Shots: 22-11
    Shots on target: 13-4
    Faceoffs: 12-13
    Hits: 6-4
    Penalty minutes: 2-4
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:53
    The first period is now drawing to its close, with CSKA so far seeing the game go more to their plan!
     
    18:37
    Igor Grigorenko is slashed by SKA's Jimmie Ericsson in the face, and as his lip is bleeding he isn't happy that no penalty was called on that incident!
     
    18:14
    SKA are going on their second penalty kill of the day, and again it's Ilya Kablukov being the guilty party this time for boarding
     
    17:33
    Denisov! That was close for the hosts! Denis Denisov is freed up at the point, he's all alone, and his effort is brilliantly taken in by Mikko Koskinen!
     
    15:51
    A few fairly harmless wristers are taken in now by SKA's huge Finnish goaltender. CSKA are generally looking to catch their opponents on the counterattack, with SKA seeing more of possession
     
    13:54
    CSKA's Vladimir Zharkov whistles the puck into the danger zone from the left, sticks hack away for it, and in the end near post Mikko Koskinen covers
     
    13:26
    Ilya Kovalchuk picks up the puck bursting into the attacking zone, wrists when moving out to the right, and Stanislav Galimov fields to hold
     
    11:45
    You can feel SKA warming into the game more as time rolls on, however their opponents are now back at full strength
     
    11:18
    Thoresen! Patrick Thoresen goes for a tricky one two moving on the left wing, and up close he pokes it over! That was a real opening!
     
    09:45
    The referee has his arm up again and this time it's against CSKA, as for tripping Stanislav Egorshev has been penalised
     
    08:55
    SKA were excellent killing that penalty though, and have five players on the ice again. It's not the start that they were dreaming of, and they need to regroup quickly
     
    06:55
    The visitors are looking rather nervy at the moment, and they're already going on the penalty kill as forward Ilya Kablukov has been called for interference
     
    06:06
    Goal for CSKA!
    It hasn't looked like coming, however CSKA have the breakthrough! The SKA back line goes missing, and after an amazing Mikko Koskinen save blocker save ALEXANDER RADULOV taps it over the line! It's 1:0! Assists- Roman Lyubimov
     
    04:29
    Roman Lyubimov whacks the puck in when off balance to the right, and Mikko Koskinen comfortably takes it up. He is going to have a big part to play for SKA, as the pressure will be put on
     
    03:24
    The first half chance is now here as Vadim Shipachyov cuts in from a tight angle on the right, and after a brief goalmouth scramble the referee blows on the play
     
    03:01
    Nothing much has been happening so far, both sides are paying a lot of attention to defence without willing to take any risks
     
    00:18
    Here we go! It promises to be a battle to the end today, with CSKA wanting to take advantage of home ice!
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    The teams are now emerging out on to the ice, and after the Russian national anthem we'll be getting underway!
     
    Starting lineups:

    CSKA Moscow: Galimov (Lalande)- Denisov, Zaitsev, Grigorenko, Lyubimov, Radulov- Nemec, Naumenkov, Hjalmarsson, Mursak, Artyukhin- Panin, Egorshev, Zharkov, Korotkov, Zhafyarov- Kiselevich, Volkov, Stas, Makarov, Mamin

    SKA St. Petersburg: Koskinen (Ezhov)- Rukavishnikov, Kalinin, Kovalchuk, Ericsson, Cervenka- Y Alexandrov, Khafizullin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Chudinov, A Belov, Thoresen, Martensson, Tikhonov- Yudin, Burdasov, Kablukov, Ketov

    Referees: Alexey Anisimov, Antonin Jerabek, Dmitriy Sivov, Sergey Shelyanin.
     
    Today's hosts CSKA finished atop of the KHL Western Conference during the regular season, with SKA one step behind in second.
     
    Both of these teams have been practically flawless during these playoffs so far, and something has got to give in this series. CSKA defeated HC Sochi 4:0 in the first round before seeing off Jokerit Helsinki 4:1, while SKA have gotten the better of HC Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and HC Dynamo Moscow both by a score of 4:1.
     
    Hello and welcome to this KHL Gagarin Cup playoff third round match between HC CSKA Moscow and SKA Saint Petersburg. This is the first game of this Western Conference final, with this promising to be an enthralling series.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 17:30.
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 7. Radulov (Lyubimov), 25. Lyubimov (Hjalmarsson, Radulov), 48. Mursak (Hjalmarsson, Radulov)

    CSKA Moscow: Galimov (Lalande)- Denisov, Zaitsev, Grigorenko, Lyubimov, Radulov- Nemec, Naumenkov, Hjalmarsson, Mursak, Artyukhin- Panin, Egorshev, Zharkov, Korotkov, Zhafyarov- Kiselevich, Volkov, Stas, Makarov, Mamin
    SKA St. Petersburg: Koskinen (Ezhov)- Rukavishnikov, Kalinin, Kovalchuk, Ericsson, Cervenka- Y Alexandrov, Khafizullin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Chudinov, A Belov, Thoresen, Martensson, Tikhonov- Yudin, Burdasov, Kablukov, Ketov
    Referees: Alexey Anisimov, Antonin Jerabek, Dmitriy Sivov, Sergey Shelyanin
    Attendance: 5600